SPCA of Texas' Cosmic Holiday Celebration for Fur Ball 2016

Touch your mouse to the image below to scroll through a gallery of images from this event:

photos c/o Thomas Garza


Animal lovers gathered at Matthew Trent Jewelry Design Studio at the Plaza at Preston Center in Dallas on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 for a Cosmic Holiday Celebration to support the SPCA of Texas’ upcoming Fur Ball 2016. Guests were all decked out in holiday splendor, and joined Chair Phyllis Comu, Co-Chair Kristen Greenberg and Auction Chair Sandra Fite for a cosmically fantastic night filled with holiday cheer. Not only did Matthew Trent design delicate dog bone necklaces in gold, white gold and silver just for the soiree, - he also donated 10% of proceeds from the evening's sales to the SPCA of Texas. The Cosmic Holiday Celebration was held in support of the SPCA of Texas’ Fur Ball 2016, DFW’s salute to the bond between people and their pets. The elegant black-tie gala will delight the senses with dancing, headline entertainment and live and silent auctions. SPCA of Texas’ Fur Ball 2016 will be held on Saturday, September 24 from 6:30 p.m. - midnight at the Omni Dallas. All money raised through the Cosmic Holiday Celebration and Fur Ball 2016 will go towards the SPCA of Texas' important mission to rescue, heal, and find loving homes for vulnerable animals. To learn more, visit www.spca.org.

True Food Kitchen: Healthy Food That Tastes Unhealthy

According to their website, you don’t have to be a die-hard Yogi to dine at True Food Kitchen (TFK). You need only a desire to give your body nutrients, and your palate something memorable. The basis for Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet isn’t meant to deprive a healthy body of great flavors, it’s meant to take popular trends in cuisine and pair them with healthy living.   "Try the kale and quinoa," they say, "you’ll live longer. Drink the seabuckthorn and acai, you’ll feel better."

I'm sorry… sea buck what?

Panange Curry with Chicken  |  Wild Mushroom Pizza and Revolver Blood and Honey beer  |  Albacore Tataki

Okay, now that the commercial is over, let's cut to the chase. Yeah, this place is chock full of things that are healthy and organic but for Taco Bell-loving fools like me, this place will also win you over with their bright energetic decor, spacious bar chock full of craft beers and fresh juices and yummy cuisine.  I was invited over for a sneak peek at TFK a few days before it opened.  My husband and I had a lunch date there and started our meal with the Albacore Tataki, which was fresh and light with a zing to it. I got spicy with the Panang Curry with Chicken, which was hot and hearty. A great choice for this time of year. My husband loved the Wild Mushroom pizza he ordered but what he loved more was the variety of craft beers available for consumption.

My only beef with TFK is that it's pricey. Lunch entrees range from $13-$20.  Dinner ranges from $13-$26. The prices make this a concept I will visit occasionally and not frequently but I did like the ambiance, vibe and food. Overall, this is a healthy joint that prepares food that tastes unhealthy - and I like that.  TFK is a welcome addition to the Park Cities dining scene and I have no doubt they will become a neighborhood hangout for many.

True Food Kitchen is located at The Plaza at Preston Center,  8383 Preston Center Plaza Drive,  Dallas, Texas 75225, 214.377.3333. http://www.foxrc.com/restaurants/true-food-kitchen/

Shop Local: Great Gifts for Fashionistas

The reason I started this website was to shine a light on what makes Dallas such a fabulous city. We have many creative and talented designers and manufacturers right in our own North Texas backyard. Their contributions not only bolster our local economy, but impact our image around the world.  Throughout the holiday season, I will be bringing you a series of posts called Shop Local giving you great gift ideas for under $250 from North Texas designers and retailers. Support local companies this season by considering their wares.

For the Fashionista...

All The Wire is the brain-child of sisters Desiree Cox and Tori Gonzales (you're about to see her every week as Courtney Kerr's BFF on Courtney Loves Dallas). Now, you guys know I love a monogram with all my heart. My motto is, "If it ain't moving, monogram it!" All the Wire takes an edgy twist to the art of personalization. I mean, I am obsessed over this pocketknife necklace. It just gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "cut a bitch!".  The company's website states "Our purpose is to share your stories through our stamped jewelry. We all have a story to share...what's yours?"  Products are made from brass to keep the line affordable. The Double or Nothin' necklace pictured above is $37 and the Part of my Tribe Besties pocketknife necklace is $65 and comes with TWO knives (one brown and one white).

You'll find more fun looks at http://www.allthewire.com/

Dallas Dweller: Maxine Bennett

Dallas is full of colorful characters. There are those you see monthly in the society pages, whose stories are legendary in this town. But, this feature is inspired by the people that I think you should know more about because of their fabulous style, interesting back-story or amazing accomplishments.  Dallas Dweller seeks to introduce you to these fabulous faces.  University Park was founded in 1915. Maxine Bennett has been around for 41 of those 98 years. She has watched this town develop and grow - oh, the stories I bet she could tell!

Maxine Bennett

Maxine Bennett

Castle Gap Jewelry, a Dallas staple for sterling silver and Native American jewelry, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The flagship store, originally on Sherry Lane, has remained in the same University Park area all these years.

What's even more amazing is that Castle Gap Jewelry is owned and operated by the same family that established the store in 1973. Maxine Bennett, one of three owners, turned 93 this year and can still be found working in the store six days a week handling the business finances.

Castle Gap Jewelry was established by Maxine and Scotty Bennett, mother and son, and were later joined by Maxine’s daughter Beverly. Catering to lovers of sterling silver and Native American jewelry is a passion shared by all three owners and their employees.

Aftershock London is looking for a new muse. Enter to win!

Aftershock London is on the hunt for the face of a new campaign.  It was just last week that Diane von Furstenberg told me that "Dallas has the most beautiful women in the world!" so it's no surprise that Aftershock London is looking for a Dallas woman to become The Face of Aftershock London.

Metroplex women age 18+ are invited to enter online with a photo and quick questionnaire on Aftershock London's Facebook Page. Submission period closes Monday, November 25. One winner will be carefully selected by a combination of public voting a panel of expert judges including Jan Strimple, Model and Event Producer at Jan Strimple Productions; Lisa Petty, Editor-in-Chief of DFW Style Daily; Diana Oates, Social Editor at CultureMap Dallas; Imran Sheikh, U.S. Director of Aftershock London annnnnnnnnd…. just announced today, celebrity designer Whitney Port! The Face of Aftershock London winner announcement event will take place Wednesday, December 18.

One Grand Prize Winner will be named The Face of Aftershock London and receive the following impressive prize package:

• A trip to London, including airfare and accommodations for two 
• $1,000 in clothing and accessories by Aftershock London 
• Featured in a professionally photographed lifestyle campaign by Scott Womack 
• The chance to serve as an Aftershock London brand ambassador at key events 
• An exclusive gift set from Blushington 

Aftershock London’s U.S. flagship store is located in The Plaza at Preston Center at 8383 Preston Plaza Drive, Suite 160, Dallas, Texas 75225. Sponsors for The Face of Aftershock London include: Aftershock London, DFW Style Daily, CultureMap Dallas, Blushington and Dress for Success Dallas. For more information about The Face of Aftershock London and to enter, please visit bit.ly/faceofaftershock.

Give a healthy dose of ESTEEM on September 21

Rudy Gatlin and OSC Editor, Cynthia Smoot
from ESTEEM 2012

The 4th annual ESTEEM fashion show benefitting The Elisa Project is scheduled for Saturday, September 21st at Tootsies in The Plaza at Preston Center.   Tickets start at $20 and go up to $75 for VIP.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

The ESTEEM event was created as an awareness event to bring light to the cause of disordered eating. Leading this year’s efforts are co-chairmen Pam Skaggs Frank and Bridget Frank. They will work closely with event production manager Rhonda Sargent Chambers with RSC Show Productions to pull off a great event while raising money for the non-profit agency.

Debbie Denmon will serve as celebrity hostess again this year. The show is formatted around celebrity and volunteer models who volunteer their time to help with this event. 

Sprinkles launches Cupcake ATM

For Sprinkles addicts on the go, swing by the world's first Cupcake ATM! Sprinkles Cupcake ATM is continuously restocked day and night with a variety of freshly baked cupcake flavors and even cupcakes for Fido! Sprinkles Cupcakes is located in Plaza at Preston Center, 4020 Villanova Drive, Dallas, Texas 75225

Bespoke Eyewear from Tom Davies

I met British eyewear designer Tom Davies at a special appearance at Occhiali Modern Optics yesterday. My first thought was that he looked like Elton John circa 1978. I mean that in a good way: jacket and bow tie, lots of teeth, sexy English accent - all very quintessentially British.  Davies was in town to offer his bespoke services to Dallas clients. What does that mean? That a few lucky clients had the opportunity to work one-on-one with Davies and have him create a custom frame just for them.

Customers have their measurements taken and their face shape and features are taken into account.  Shape, style, colors, materials - all are hand-picked by Davies as he studies your face and personality while you sit with him.  The measurements and design choices are then sent to his workshop in Shenzhen, China from which point it takes about 3 weeks to get the glasses delivered.

Clients are given a bar code so they can trace the production path of their glasses online and even see a little film about each stage: welding, tumbling in a bamboo tumbler to smoothen the edges, hand polishing etc… Each pair of spectacles passes through the hands of 16 people before it reaches the customer.

Seeing Is Believing: My Quest for New Eyewear

I received a letter from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles a few weeks ago, informing me that my driver’s license would be expiring on my birthday (May 5th in case you are interested). The good news, is that I have to go in and have a new photo taken - which is awesome because no one ever likes the photo on their license. I swear they train their people to take bad images. “Wait until they blink or open their mouth to ask a question…” I can hear it now. The bad news is that I also have to complete an eye exam to renew my license. I have been wearing "readers" for a couple of years and totally need them to read small print. Reading the 4 point font on my iPhone was a nightmare until I discovered you could enlarge it. Now my setting is extra large or as my son calls it “old people font”.

I knew there was no way I would pass an eye test, so I made an appointment to get my eyes examined and sure enough I heard the words that no woman ever wants to hear, “You need bifocals.” (insert mental image of my Grandmother and a silent scream here) So, how does one stay fashionably cool and still wear glasses? I dropped into Occhiali Modern Optics at Plaza at Preston Center to browse around and see if I could live with this verdict. I was pleasantly surprised to see that frames have gotten a lot hipper since I last wore them 20 years ago. Materials range from the traditional plastic and wire to unique pieces made from wood and bamboo. Right away the sales person said words that are music to my ears, “We carry lines that you won’t find all over town and even brands that other stores carry – we carry exclusive frames within the collection.” Always a plus, because who wants to look like everyone else? Not me.

The Plaza at Preston Center is Expanding

While the temperatures in September may not bring a great deal of change to Dallas, the beginning of the new Plaza at Preston Center certainly will.  In early September, construction will begin on a five-story office and retail building which will house the University Park Library, as well as a multi-level underground parking garage that will add more than 450 new parking spaces to the center.

rendering of new office/retail building

The center is already taking steps to ensure that Plaza customers are minimally affected during the construction process. All stores and restaurants will remain open and free valet parking will be offered at many locations throughout the center. Some stores, including Lucky Dog Barkery, Mel Crews and Park Plaza Salon will add rear access to their locations for the convenience of their customers. Shoppers of all ages will even find intriguing entertainment from the project as they safely watch the construction in action from behind a plexiglass wall viewing area.

Several tenants have relocated within the center to make room for the new building. Corner Bakery Café has a new location between New Balance DFW and Baskin Robbins, with a great patio open just in time for cooler temperatures. Matthew Trent Jewelry Design Studio has relocated to the west side of the center facing Preston Road, as will Occhiali Modern Optics.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed by winter 2012.  For more information, visit www.theplazaatprestoncenter.com.

PS: Have you voted for me today as Dallas' Most Influential Lifestyle Blogger? I hope you will!!  You can vote once a day, every day, until September 9. I would so much appreciate your support!

Calypso Home opens in The Plaza at Preston Center

According to their website, Calypso Home " is inspired by 5 basic elements that come together to create an interesting interior: layer, shape, texture, color and pattern".  Stop by their newest location in The Plaza in Preston Center to welcome our new neighbors!